RAW: Ralph Obenberger appointed Mono County Sheriff Tuesday

Undersheriff Ralph Obenberger is sworn in by Judge Stan Eller after being unanimously appointed to the post of Mono County Sheriff by the county board of supervisors on Tuesday, Dec. 11. He will replace Mono County Sheriff Richard "Rick" Scholl on Dec. 20 at 5:01 p.m. Scholl recently announced he will retire, after serving about half of his four year term.

In early November, Sheriff Richard C. Scholl made the announcement that he was going to retire as Sheriff-Coroner as of December 20th, 2012.

“I have been honored to be the 21st person to serve as Sheriff-Corner of Mono County. To have the trust of the employees and the citizens over these past six years has truly been a privilege. I know our accomplishments have outweighed the defeats and I believe the Sheriff’s Office is poised to continue moving forward in a positive manner under the direction of Undersheriff Ralph Obenberger,” stated Sheriff Scholl.

Today, the Mono County Board of Supervisors officially appointed and swore in Undersheriff Obenberger to the seat of Sheriff-Coroner.

Undersheriff Obenberger has been in law enforcement for over 27 years. He started his career with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office for 15 years before moving to Mono County. Over the course of his career, he has worked as a Patrol Deputy, Special Assignment Deputy, Training Officer, Dispatcher, Sergeant, Lieutenant, Chief Deputy Coroner, and Undersheriff.

“I believe I have excellent communications with all of my staff and employees, as well as allied agencies and other county departments. With all that said, I feel that I am very qualified and suited for taking on the responsibilities of the Office of the Sheriff,” stated Obenberger.

As Undersheriff Obenberger comes into his new role as Sheriff, there are three main challenges he sees the department facing: how Mono County will handle AB109 Realignment due to the larger number of inmates now being housed in the county facility rather than being sent to State Prison; dealing with manpower issues and residency issues within the Sheriff’s Office; and the changes occurring within the Mammoth Lakes Police Department and the Town of Mammoth Lakes and those impacts on the Sheriff’s Office.

“There are always challenges moving into a new position of responsibility. With that in mind, the ultimate responsibility for the Sheriff is the safety of the residents and visitors of Mono County. I will do whatever is necessary to ensure that safety,” says Obenberger. “I am confident that with the staff and employees of the Mono County Sheriff’s Office, we can accomplish anything.”

Undersheriff Obenberger will officially take his seat as Sheriff-Coroner on Thursday, December 20th at 5:01 p.m.